Paul Stewart: Playing for England was a boyhood dream - but it had its downsides

My England debut came just as I turned to booze and drugs to block out the past.
At Spurs, I wasn’t hooked on coke straight away. But it soon became a big part of a night out, often in ­combination with ecstasy.
Even when I met up with England for my debut, I had been out drinking all day.
I got to Bisham Abbey to meet the full squad for the first time – and went straight to the hotel bar.
We were not training. But I thought nothing of going down for a drink with a few of the other lads.
I was not alone by any means, yet I look back now and think, ‘Was that right? What was I on?’
I had... read more

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